Month: December 2016

You all heard it. Loads of protein. Skyrocketing testosterone levels. Sounds perfect for your bodybuilding goals? Yeah, right. You need to consume lots of protein if you’re packing on serious muscle. Likewise, you also have to engage yourself to some T-level-surging programs or diet plans in order to get those muscles swelling. Ironically, these two superpowers are not great partners.

To shed light to the conventional wisdom that more protein intake equals more muscle gains, let us study how its interaction with testosterone affects your muscle gains in the process.

It is totally fine if you are into carb back-loading. That macronutrient-based diet is as effective as the other methods. What I am bringing to the table this time is your high-protein obsession that actually contradicts your aim of boosting your testosterone production.

It has been discussed many times that the principle of the male hormone, testosterone, is what gives men the amount of muscle they have compared to women. This concept, too, describes how some individuals who resort to synthetic testosterone drugs build excessive muscle mass. However, an important note that most of us tend to overlook is how highly responsive this hormone is to various lifestyle factors. And this does not exclude the amount of protein you consume on a daily basis.

According to factual assertions, excessive protein consumption is detrimental for testosterone production.

Here are some facts which back up this assumption:

Spare your body the difficulty of going through the digestion process. Admittedly, protein is not an easy nutrient to digest. So if you take too much of it, your body goes under stress, thus increasing the cortisol level. This stress hormone is known to decrease your T levels.

An increased sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in the body can as well contribute to lowered T levels. Too much protein can cause the rise of SHBG in the bloodstream as it binds to almost sixty percent of the body’s free testosterone. When this happens, the bound testosterone becomes unusable.

Another thing which interferes with your T-boosters is the insulin-like growth factor that spikes when you consume excessive amounts of protein. This finding is not conclusive, but it still seems unlikely that the high protein diet can lead to more testosterone.

There is no strong evidence to support the claim that higher protein portions from the extra calories have a significant impact on increasing your T levels. This is despite the 2008 findings that high intensity exercise plus high-calorie consumption are linked to testosterone boost.

When you take in too much of one macronutrient, you tend to compromise the amounts of the other two – carbohydrates and fats. According to studies, fats and carbohydrates have shown positive effects in improving testosterone levels and are more important components in maintaining balance in the body than protein.

If you’re thinking of chugging down protein shake more than what you need, you can follow If It Fits Your Macros guide to shovel down your intake. Otherwise, risk lowering your T levels.

Remember the short story your teacher told you about in the first grade? How all other organs shut down because they connived to leave the stomach unfed? It’s quite believable even up to this contemporary age. Your digestive health is equally important as that of the other structures in the body.

On the rise are health problems associated with the compromised ability of the intestines to absorb vital nutrients primarily because of the lack of presence of digestive enzymes in the intestinal environment. Since your macronutrients take up so much energy and stress to your body, those three big nutrients require the action of powerful substances to break them down into smaller pieces.

Protease and lipase are in charge of collapsing the large molecules of protein and fats respectively, while amylase (produced in the pancreas and mouth in the form of saliva) has the sole responsibility in converting the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. The very reason why starches such as rice and potatoes give off a slightly sweet taste as you chew them.

Knowing that these enzymes prepare the macronutrients to their more absorbable state, it is justifiable to put the role of amylase into the limelight. Other surprising health benefits of amylase support different mechanisms in the body such as:

Amylase in Digestion

The primary role of amylase obviously centers on digestive health. Amylase contained in the saliva is exposed first in the food we put in our mouths. Considering this, it is crucial that you chew your food well for the amylase to cover the entire food before you swallow. Proper chewing reduces the workload the small intestines have to perform when extracting the much-needed nutrients. Overall digestive function is improved when you understand this simple process and how to further take care of your stomach by following a healthy, alkalinic living.

Energy Source

As mentioned earlier, in order to use up the derived glucose in the starches, the body relies on this digestive enzyme called amylase. Another key function of amylase is to break down carbohydrates into smaller forms of glucose which your body uses as an energy source. Besides the energy production, glucose also affects cognitive function keeping you stay fully alert, learn faster, and retain information more efficiently. Fuel your body from starchy sources like grains, breads, pasta, cereals, rice, potatoes, and corn.

Cancer-fighting Properties

For those who battle cancer, seeking alternative options by having a positive outlook and taking on a holistic approach in achieving optimum health are part of their cancer treatment plans. A research study concluded that enzyme therapy has the ability to inhibit tumor growth and spread. Additionally, it can reduce the adverse effects brought by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Sugar Balancing

Amylase is the new key enzyme for managing diabetes. Its anti-diabetes benefit was proven by a 2013 study where patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes show significantly reduced serum amylase whenever their blood glucose level shoots up. The indirect relationship of the two factors conveys that having healthy pancreas produces amylase on a healthy level.